Can Busy Moms Really Find Time to Spend with God? (Part 1)

Moms are busy. It doesn’t matter how many children they have, if their kids are young or grown, or if they work or stay at home.

Given this reality, is it really possible for moms to find time to spend with God? I first considered this question a couple of years ago when I was struggling to find time to spend with the Lord while adjusting to life with my firstborn. A couple of years have passed and I’ve had a second child, but I still find myself asking this question on occasion!

I consistently find that the answer to this question is simple: Yes, it is possible for busy moms to find time to spend with God. What we really need to consider is how. How can busy moms find time to spend with God?

There are a lot of ways to answer this question, and today you are in for a real treat! You are going to hear from three different moms—Elizabeth of Guilty Chocoholic Mama, Michele of Living Our Days, and me—about how we find time to spend with the Lord. Elizabeth is mom to two teenage girls, Michele is mom to four boys who are in their teen and young adult years, and I’m mom to two young girls (a 1-year-old and a 2-year-old). I hope that our varied perspectives encourage you and give you some useful ideas!

How do you find time to spend with the Lord?

Elizabeth: If I, as a busy mom of two even busier children, waited until I had an uninterrupted hour each day when I could sit quietly and focus entirely on spending time with God, I wouldn’t have spent time with God since the ’90s. I believe God honors a mom’s desire to meet with Him, learn about Him, study His Word, memorize Scripture, mediate on His truths, worship Him, pray to Him, and draw near to Him–even if those things happen in 5-minute bursts spread throughout a day. A typical day with God for me includes:

Starting my daily prayer P.A.T.H. (praise God, acknowledge my sin, thank Him, ask for help for myself and others) the minute my feet hit the floor. While I make the bed first thing, I pray that Jesus will cover each member of my little family and all the places they are during the day. Then I put that P.A.T.H. on hold while I go downstairs to start breakfast and lunches.

Reading a one-page daily devotional while I brush my teeth. 🙂 Spiritual and dental health, all in one.

Continuing and finishing my prayer P.A.T.H. after my girls leave for school, while I do my daily fitness walk. We live on a quiet country road, so I always pray out loud. The enemy can’t read our minds, so I believe prayer is more effective against Him when verbalized.

Memorizing scripture while I finish my walk.

Praying throughout the day. I have teenagers. They are in public school. One of them drives. I pray constantly.

Listening to worship music in the van when I’m transporting the teenager who doesn’t drive to and from school, to and from dance, to and from drum line practice, to and from…

Doing personal Bible study in the evening when my girls are at dance.

Michele: As the mum of four active boys, one day it became clear to me that it was time to swap my beautiful basket where I kept all the “needful things” for a flourishing devotional life for the practicality of a sturdy tote bag, packed and ready at all times. More and more, I found that I was meeting with the Lord on the fly. I had a decision to make: I could lament this homeschooling, baseball playing, piano-and-band-practicing family that God had given to me and use them as an excuse to let my spiritual formation go on mothballs. Or I could develop a carpe deum, seize-the-moment strategy for making good use of little minutes that might otherwise be wasted.

Shannon: The only way that I’ve found to consistently spend time with the Lord is to get up early in the morning before my girls wake up. This is really difficult because I’m often tired, but I’ve found that it is worth it. Another thing I struggle to find time for is exercise. Thankfully, I’ve discovered that I can read my Bible and pray while riding our exercise bike. Doing this is really helpful because riding the bike helps me stay alert and I’m able to “kill two birds with one stone.” Even though I’m getting up early, I still don’t have as much time available as I did before I became a mom. Subsequently, I try to do little things throughout the day to supplement the time I spend with the Lord in the morning. For example, I post a copy of the Scripture verses I’m memorizing on the outside of the glass enclosure to our shower. This way I can memorize the verses while I shower.

Stay tuned…

I love hearing how other moms find time to spend with the Lord. Thanks for sharing your ideas, Elizabeth and Michele! I think I will soon find myself using some of the approaches you’ve described.

Though these insights are helpful, you might be wondering how a mom’s devotional time changes through the various seasons of motherhood and what practical tools are helpful for facilitating time with the Lord. The three of us will be exploring these topics next week, so be sure to come back and join us!

Reader Interactions

Comments

What a privilege to be part of a conversation that is so foundational to a woman’s spiritual formation! Shannon, thank you for the invitation, and Elizabeth, thank you for sharing your wisdom! I look forward to hearing what others have to share about their own journeys!

Speaking from the perspective of an empty nester, I can’t imagine the years of raising kids without having snatched time with God wherever and whenever I could. To me, it was vital for two reasons. First, it kept the lines of communication open with our Heavenly Father for problems and praise. Just as important, it helped teach our kids how vital it is to maintain a personal relationship with our Lord. Keep up the good work, Moms! Time you carve out for the Lord is time you will never forget.

I love your thoughts, Alice! I definitely need to keep the lines of communication open. I also want to model for my children how to meet with the Lord, so I love how you emphasized this. Thanks for taking the time to share!

Yes, yes, yes, Alice! My children are both teenagers now, and daily I see the “flowers” of seeds of faith planted in their younger years. These seeds were not planted in one fell swoop, though, but in hundreds of “snatched” moments over years. Thank you so much for your encouraging feedback!

What a sweet joy and privilege to be part of this post! Shannon and Michele, you both offer me so much wisdom every time I read your words, so I am honored to be in your company! I love the consistency of our voices here: get creative and use the time you’ve got (or can dig up or find or squeeze in or eek out) to draw close to God–Who is over and above and beyond time anyway. I love your “adjusted perspective,” Michele. And Shannon, I, too, am big fan of the exercise/prayer combo! In fact, I’m getting reach to head out to walk and pray and memorize Scripture in a few minutes. And I love your shower study plan! My daughters put sheets of school study materials in plastic gallon storage bags and hang them inside the shower on the walls…same idea, but it works with our opaque shower enclosure. 😉 Blessings on you both and on all the other moms who read this post and share their own wisdom!

I love this idea of using plastic baggies!
Thanks, Elizabeth, for your contributions. I appreciate that they are practical and I know I will be integrating some of your ideas into how I spend time with God.

Ladies, thank you for sharing your insight from different perspectives. There’s always something we can do to make time for God. The common thread in each of yours is that you take time throughout the day. I love that! I connect with God throughout the day as well. I’ll be sharing your post this week. God bless you all!

Kelly, you hit that “common thread” on the head! I’m so grateful God honors the intents and desires of our hearts, even while the rest of life (which often calls “Mommy!”) is clamoring for our attention, too. Blessings to you!

I’ve been thinking of this topic recently and not because I have children at home but because it seems like I’ve been allowing everything else {particularly technology} to get in the way of what I know I need to do, what I’m yearning to do and don’t.

The word LAZY has come to me in several ways in recent days, the Spirit prompting me to get serious about putting Him first.

Thanks for this encouragement, Linda. It is SO easy to get our priorities out of whack, paying attention to the noisiest thing in the room instead of the most important. We really do need each other for accountability and idea sharing!

Aw, thank you for your honesty and encouragement, Linda. In a recent study I did on the armor of God, we learned that the enemy’s arrows are not intended so much to entirely wipe us out as they are to distract us from what really matters. I think that kind of attack is what you’re described here. May God grant us all victory as we raise our shields of faith!

These are great ideas, not just for busy moms, but for busy folks period. One thing I like to do is keep an open Bible in every room…bedroom, bathroom, living room, dining room, and kitchen. That way I can take mere seconds or a few minutes to read His Word. Sometime they are all open to the same chapter so that there is some continuity. Also I like to post Scripture on mirrors, doorposts, closet doors, and kitchen cabinets.

Great point, Sarah, that many folks struggle to find time to spend with God…not just moms!
Having an open Bible in each room is such a neat idea! I’ve never considered doing something like this, but it would be helpful to be able to read a bit here and there as I have time. Thanks for the suggestion!

Okay, Sarah, so you have JUST confirmed an idea I think God might have put in my jumbled brain the other day: to get a Bible app for my phone. (Fine: to ask my 13-year-old to put a Bible app on my phone.) This is a slight variation on your brilliant “open Bible in every room” idea. Thank you for reinforcing that this is something I (fine: my 13-year-old) need(s) to make happen TODAY. 🙂

Having raised 4 kids and caring for several of the grandchildren at various times, I whole-heartedly agree on the importance of making wise use of those little chucks of time. And you ladies have shared some very creative ideas!

Getting up early has always been important to me, although it took some serious time and effort to develop that habit as I’m a night person by nature (it’s 11 pm right now, but I love this time even though I still get up early).
I have also found a prayer journal to be a great tool during really busy seasons. Not a Bible journal like those that are so popular today, but just a notebook or blank book in which to write out my prayers. I could be praying while watching kids at the park or in the backyard, while waiting for kids to get out of school or lessons, etc.

But now that all the kids are grown and even the grandchildren are growing up, I have yet to find a season where I didn’t have to be creative and purposeful about time with the Lord. Life just has a way of entering!

Yes, the distractions follow us and adapt themselves to every phase of life.

And I’m with you on the beauty found in those edges of the day. I like the early morning hours because I want to get my brain functioning before it has to kick into high gear, but also love the quiet on the other end of the day. (Is it crazy that I have to discipline myself to go to bed?)

So thankful that God never sleeps nor slumbers. Always so good to find you here, there, and everywhere and to pick up the conversation where we left off.

“Now that all the kids are grown and even the grandchildren are growing up, I have yet to find a season where I didn’t have to be creative and purposeful about time with the Lord. Life just has a way of entering!” Yes times a thousand (at least) to this, Donna. Thank you for sharing your wise perspective with us!

Good morning ladies,
I have to admit that it is a little easier to find time now that I am an empty nester, but I still find that I have to be very intentional or the day will disappear before me. I still stick to my getting up early (I used to get up before my kiddos when they were at home) to have my quiet time in the Word. I found I NEEDED to start my day with this in order for things to begin on the right foot. Once they were in school, walking the dog became a favorite intercessory prayer time for others (and still is). Like you pointed out, we need to grab those 10 minutes here and there and turn them into worship.
Thanks for sharing!
Blessings,
Bev xx

Well, I’ve found some wonderful ideas here today. Why do I feel I’m doing something wrong if I multitask my time with the Lord? For instance, reading devotionals in the bathroom, listening to Scripture while walking? Meditating on the Lord while brushing my teeth? I know it’s good to have focused “sit downs” with the Lord but sometimes we have to be creative in our fellowship with Him or miss out completely. Out with the legalism! Y’all have eased my mind today and I’m thankful.
Blessings,
Patti

Aw, what a sweet and encouraging comment to find in my inbox to start my day, Patti! I think what you’ve gleaned here is that your brain is going to think about SOMETHING while you brush your teeth or do, ahem, other things that don’t require serious mental acuity, so why not direct it to think about God? 🙂 Here’s to dental hygiene and spiritual growth, all at the same time! Bless you!

Thanks for putting that thought out there, Patti. I’ve struggled with the same score keeping mentality myself, as in “Does this COUNT because I’m also hanging laundry as I pray?” God knows our hearts. If we are indeed just checking off a requirement, flying through our reading to get it done, well . . . we can do that in a “traditional looking” quiet time too, can’t we.
May we find grace to show up before God in whole-hearted devotion to Him, regardless of our setting and circumstances.

I struggle with this, as well. I think it is good (perhaps even optimal) to have some “sit down” time where we are only focused on the Lord when possible. However, we have to remember that there is grace for us in busy seasons. That focused time may only be 5, 10, or 15 minutes on some days and that’s okay! I think we will miss out if we are not also communing with the Lord throughout the day.

Spending time with God as a mom has looked different for me at different times of motherhood. With little babies I often could not find time except during their naps. At some point I started getting up earlier than the kids. I remember more than once when my youngest was 3 that I was having a good time with the Lord when she woke up and came looking for me. She climbed up in my lap and said, “Ooo Mommy, your breath!” LOL 🙂
During the couple of years I homeschooled, we listened to David Jeremiah together, and I don’t remember when I actually pulled out my Bible, I guess just whenever I got a chance.
And when the kids went off to school, I could have a nice long time with the Lord after I dropped them off.

You’re already anticipating our next conversation! We’ll be getting into this thought that our quiet times will change as our families change, and I’m so thankful that you’ve shared the way it looked for you!

Ladies, Thank you for sharing your wisdom and practical experience in the area of this crucial topic. Love the variety and practicality of all the ideas. (My daughter posts scripture in the shower, too. I’d never thought of that one on my own!)

Heehee…thank you, Helene! In general, nothing has ever amped up my prayer life like becoming a mom. But being the parent of a teen driver REALLY charged it up. 😉 What a lovey testimony about your daughter: “a fantastic kid and a good driver.” I would say the same about my daughter…and aren’t we so grateful we can say that? Not to be taken for granted. Thank you so much for this sweet bonding moment today! 🙂

Shannon, thanks so much for contributing your thoughts as well as opening up your space to the two other ladies. Such an important topic. I’m writing a book on a similar topic, and I was reminded all over again how hard it is for moms of littles. (One friend said her quiet time is interrupted all the time by kids asking for more snacks. 🙂 ) I remember breast feeding while I read my Bible back in the day. Now, I’m mainly an early riser, but it’s hard because my teen kids keep me up ALL HOURS of the night! 🙂 I love the “grab a few minutes here and there as you go” approach. I write scripture on note cards and carry it around me with.

You point out that it is always a challenge, regardless of the ages of your children. I think this is one reason it is so critical to learn how to have this time…it’s not necessarily going to get easier as the littles grow older! Thanks for contributing the note card idea, Betsy.

What an important topic. I find the best way to spend time with God is first thing in the morning in my War Room! Uninterrupted time, with no distractions. It doesn’t matter if it’s 10 min or 30 min, when it’s just me and God, I always leave refreshed and filled to be poured out again. You cannot pour into others from an empty well. Stopping by from Grace and Truth link up.

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[…] That was the scene that first came to mind when Shannon Coleman from Of the Hearth asked for my thoughts on making time in a busy schedule for daily quiet time with God. As the mum of four active boys, I’ve long been an advocate for the prudent use of little minutes, so I’ve shared a few thoughts over at her place today. […]

[…] with the changes and adjustments because of a commitment to make spiritual formation a priority. Part One of the series gives some background and makes a case for the prudent use of little minute… while Part Two gets into details around accountability and flexibility. If you know of a young […]

[…] Like many of you, I crave that time with God, and I have time set aside for just Him, but sometimes I long for more. I really appreciated Shannon’s post this week, about how busy moms can find time to spend with God. […]